Thursday, May 28, 2009

easy riders

In June I am participating in a local effort to raise $'s for MS.Please contribute! If you are comfortable donating via the Internet, visit this page--http://tinyurl.com/r9b5umOn the left hand side of the page click on donate to participant, see screen shot below.Any amount would be wonderful. Times are hard. More important than ever to help.Note: the above is a screen-shot, please visit the page on MS site to donate...

Funds raised by the Blue Ridge Chapter [in 2008] were used to provide programming and research for the 3,000 people with MS and their families in our area. Money goes for scholarships, in home care , wheelchairs, counseling, physical therapy, personal independence modifications on houses... Additionally, $'s raised are used by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to fund research.

If you prefer to donate by check, please make your gift payable to the "National MS Society" and forward it by mail to me -- I will make sure it gets properly submitted: Bill Emory, 1604 East Market Street, Charlottesville, VA, 22902

mister big stuff

Friday, May 15, 2009

religion or politics

Thursday, May 14, 2009

succession

lost an old oak tree yesterday. The first large oak I have lost. Swamp chestnut oak (quercus michauxii), swamp white oak? People say oaks hybridize easily, have never been certain of this one's name. Three foot dbh. The tree fell perfectly, lots of juvenille oaks ready for the race to the light.falling well, making way.Our father died 18 years ago today.

Saturday, May 09, 2009

closing the barn door

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Norris? Szakos? Taliaferro?

The candidates for the Charlottesville Democratic primary Saturday May 9 participated in political theater, conversation and debate this past Wednesday night.It was intense, like a Thanksgiving meal when the family is a bit dysfunctional. Real. Refreshing after the gloss of presidential politics.Charlottesville Tomorrow has posted audio which is handily indexed for the channel surfers amongst us.I am pasting in several of Charlottesville Tomorrow's questions below, hope you will visit their site, listen. ruminate and vote May 9!

17:00 Question #3: "Do you think the City and the City taxpayers have a responsibility to help finish the Landmark Hotel project, and what would you like to see done with it?"

19:30 Question #4: "Regal Cinema 4 has announced plans to rebuild their cinema behind K-Mart with additional screens and stadium seating. Many area residents are excited that they won?t have to drive to Short Pump in order to have a modern movie-going experience. Unfortunately, that theater sits directly in the path of the $30 million proposed road construction project to extend Hillsdale Drive to Hydraulic Road. At the same time, a group of concerned citizens have gone to court to prevent the construction of the Meadowcreek Parkway through McIntire Park. What do you propose, both short term and long term, as a solution to our traffic problems and to citizen opposition to building new roads?"

27:30 Audience question #1: "We have a city manager form of government, and over the years I?ve come to believe that the city manager wields more power than anyone else for setting priorities and making decisions. My question to all three of you is, what system do you have in place to watchdog the city manager?"

33:30 Audience question #2: (directed at Taliaferro) "You mentioned affordable housing in your opening statement. On several occasions, you have publicly endorsed the creation of a dedicated fund for affordable housing, but when it came time to vote for it, you were the deciding vote against it. How do you reconcile your public statements against it with your [previous] campaign promises?"

39:00 Audience question #3: "I hear each Council member speak for affordable housing. The last time I heard someone talk about affordable housing they built 12 houses in the 10th and Page neighborhood, and they were all $300,000 homes. Can someone define affordable housing and who are they going to build these affordable housing units for when a large majority of people in this town are not doctors and lawyers and only have incomes [between] $30,000 or $35,000? What kind of affordable housing are we offering those citizens?"--Charlottesville Tomorrow